Wave Equations: EM Waves

Traveling waves
When you perturb
a medium a wave
often spreads out

Transverse Waves

If we perturb
again and again
we create a series
of pulses

One can do the

same with a spring
or a rope

Longitudinal Waves
kinds of waves
• mechanical waves
• transverse waves in a string
• longitudinal waves in air (sound)
• Seismic waves (Tsunami!)
• Light???
• Matter???

stand up –sit down

 If a pulse does not
spread then…

… a traveling
observer sees the
same shape

vt
y
v

vt

At t=0 the shape is After the time t the shape is the

D(x,t=0) same, but it is centered at position v
(D is displacement) t

D( x=
, t ) D( x − vt , 0)
 The wave equation
A traveling wave
looks like
D( x=
, t ) f ( x − vt )

{
z Suppose we change
x
dD df dz df
= =
=dx t constant
= dz dx t constant dz Now suppose we change t

d 2D d2 f
22 = 2 2
d D
dx t =constant dz d D 2
=v
dD2 df 2
dtdt x
=
=
df dz
constant
dz dt
= −vdx
dz t constant
=x constant
= x constant

d 2D 2 d 2
f
=v
dt 2 x = constant
dz 2
 A Solution
d 2D 2 d 2
D wave number
2
=v 2 (-) moving to right
=
dt x constant
=t
dx constant (+) moving to left
angular frequency =2πf

A solution is D( x, t ) = A sin(kx  ωt )
Amplitude
check with (-)

d 2D d 2
D
2
=
− ω 2
A sin( kx − ω t ) 2
=− k 2
A sin(kx − ωt )
dt dx
−ω A sin(kx − ωt ) =
2
−v k A sin(kx − ωt )
2 2

ω
→v=
k
Sinusoidal traveling waves
A sinusoidal
traveling wave is
looks like a sine
D( x,=
t 0)= A sin(kx)
wave at t=0

The zeros are 1

wherever 2π
sin(kx)=0 0.5

0 2 π 4 62π 8 3π 10kx

-0.5

-1 "Wave "
Full
2π
k λ =2π → k=
λ
The distance
between crests
This is nice because
is 2p/k
2π
ω 2=
= πf
T
snapshot and history graphs
t

sin(kx-ωt)
k=1, ω=1 x

x t

snapshot graph, t=0 history graph, x=40

Properties of traveling waves

A sinusoidal
traveling wave is
described by 4
quantities

And always any

D( x, t ) = A sin(kx  ωt )
point on the rope
just oscillates up
2π 2π ω
and down
=k ω 2=
= πf =v
λ T k
When waves hit the wall
Change in the force of
When a pulse the string acting on
finds an obstacle it the wall
will be reflected,
at least partially
The pulse arrives

If the obstacle is
very heavy a pulse
on an attached
string is completely Before
The pulse
the is
pulse
gonearrives
back rope
reflected and
inverted Force on the wall

The pulse is reflected

Equal and opposite

reaction of the wall on
the string

Wall

This is a phase change of Δφ=π

 The pulse arrives

If the obstacle is
very heavy a pulse
on a sliding string is
completely reflected
but not inverted

The pulse
Before the is gonearrives
pulse back rope

Force on the wall

The vertical component of

the tension moves the
ring down. The pulse is
reflected but not inverted
For other situations
intermediate
reflection/transmission Wall
occurs

This is a phase change of Δφ=0

Electromagnetic waves

for E field

for B field
In general,
electromagnetic waves

1 ∂ψ 2
∇ψ = 2
2
2
c ∂t
Where ψ represents E or B
or their components
# A plane wave satisfies wave
equation in Cartesian coordinates
# A spherical wave satisfies wave
equation in spherical polar
coordinates
# A cylindrical wave satisfies wave
equation in cylindrical coordinates
 Solution of 3D wave equation

In Cartesian coordinates

∂ψ ∂ψ ∂ψ
2
1 ∂ψ
2 2 2
∇ψ = 2 + 2 + 2 = 2
2
2
∂x ∂y ∂z c ∂t
Separation of variables

ψ ( x, y, z , t ) = X ( x)Y ( y ) Z ( z )T (t )
 Substituting for ψ we obtain

1 ∂ X +1∂Y+1 ∂ Z = 1 1∂T
2 2 2
 2

2 2 2 2  2 
X ∂x Y ∂y Z ∂z c  T ∂t 
Variables are separated out
Each variable-term independent
And must be a constant
So we may write
2 2
1 ∂ X = −k 2 ; 1 ∂ Y = −k 2 ;
2 x 2 y
X ∂x Y ∂y
1 ∂ Z = − k ; 1 ∂ T  = −ω 2
2
2 2

2 z 2 
Z ∂z  T ∂t 
where we use
2 2 2 2 2 2
ω c =k +k +k =k
x y z
 Solutions are then
± ik x x ± ik y y
X ( x) = e ; Y ( y) = e ;
± ik z z ± iω t
Z ( z) = e ; T (t ) = e
Total Solution is
ψ ( x, y, z, t ) = X ( x)Y ( y ) Z ( z )T (t )
i[ωt  ( k x x + k y y + k z z )]
= Ae  
i [ωt  k . r ] plane wave
= Ae
Traveling 3D plane wave
 spherical
coordinates
 spherical waves

2 2 2
2 ∂ 2 ∂ 1 ∂ cos φ ∂ 1 ∂
∇ ≡ 2+ + 2 2 2
+ 2 + 2 2
∂r r ∂r r sin φ ∂θ r sin φ ∂θ r ∂φ
 Alternatively
2
2 ∂ ψ 2 ∂ψ 1 ∂  2 ∂ψ 
∇ψ = 2 + = 2 r 
∂r r ∂r r ∂r  ∂r 

The wave equation becomes

2
1 ∂  r 2 ∂ψ  1 ∂ψ
2  = 2 2
r ∂r  ∂r  c ∂t
 u (r )
Put ψ (r ) =
r
∂ψ 1 ∂u u 2 ∂ψ
Then = − 2 ⇒ r = r ∂u − u
∂r r ∂r r ∂r ∂r
∂  2 ∂ψ  ∂  ∂u 
Hence r  = r −u
∂r  ∂r  ∂r  ∂r 
2
= ∂u + r ∂ u2 − ∂u
∂r ∂r ∂r
Therefore

1 ∂  r 2 ∂ψ  1 ∂ 2u
2  = 2
r ∂r  ∂r  r ∂r

Wave equation transforms to

2 2 2 2
1∂ u= 1 1∂ u ⇒ ∂u= 1 ∂u
2 2 2 2 2 2
r ∂r c r ∂t ∂r c ∂t
Separation of variables
u (r , t ) = R (r )T (t )
Which follows that
2 2
1 ∂ R = 1 1 ∂ T = −k 2
2 2 2
R ∂r c T ∂t
Solutions are
± ikr ± iω t
R(r ) = e ; T (t ) = e ω = kc
i (ω t ± kr )
Total solution is u (r ) = e
 Final form of solution
1
ψ (r ) = e i (ω t ± kr )
spherical wave
r
General solution

1
ψ (r ) = e i (ω t − kr ) 1
+ e i (ω t + kr )

r r
outgoing incoming
waves waves
 Cylindrical waves

2 2 2
2 ∂ 1 ∂ 1 ∂ ∂
∇ ≡ 2+ + 2 2+ 2
∂r r ∂r r ∂φ ∂z
with angular and azimuthal symmetry, the
Laplacian simplifies and the wave equation
The solutions are Bessel functions.
For large r, they are approximated as

ψ ( r , t ) ≈ A cos ( kr − ωt )
r
A plane wave satisfies one-dimensional
wave equation in Cartesian coordinates

∂ψ2
2 ∂ ψ
2

2
=v 2
∂t ∂x

The position vector must remain

perpendicular to the given plane

( r − r0 ) ⋅ k =0
.k r0=
r= .k constant
 The wave then satisfies the
generalization of the one-dimensional
wave equation

=ψ ψ 0 cos (ωt − k .r + φ )
Plane EM waves in vacuum
Wave vector k is perpendicular to E

Wave vector k is perpendicular to B

B is perpendicular to E
B, k and E make a right handed
Cartesian co-ordinate system
Plane EM waves in vacuum